President Zhang Xinxin leads Delegation to Warwick University and University of Birmingham

At the invitation of the Warwick University and the University of Birmingham, from January 17-18, USTB President Zhang Xinxin led a delegation to discuss inter-school cooperation and sign student exchange agreements.

At Warwick University, Zhang Xinxin met with Professor Stuart Croft, president of the university, and a member of the British House of Lords, Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, dean of the School of Manufacturing Engineering. He thanked Professor Croft and Lord Bhattacharyya for their kind invitation and thoughtful arrangements. He expressed his appreciation for the exchange of professors, cooperative research and promotion of English courses in the fields of iron and steel metallurgy between the two universities. He hoped that through their visit, he could further promote cooperation with Warwick University in metallurgy, materials, energy, communications and other fields of cooperation. Subsequently, President Zhang attended the Warwick University graduation ceremony, and was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in physics. The delegation also visited the Warwick Advanced Iron Research Center, International Manufacturing Center and Energy Innovation Center, and conducted in-depth exchanges with staff.

At Birmingham, President Zhang held talks with Professor David Eastwood. He pointed out that USTB has always had a fine tradition of international cooperation and exchange and attaches great importance to its cooperation with world-renowned universities, especially the University of Birmingham. Since the two universities signed their inter-school agreement in 2015, they have carried out fruitful cooperation including the establishment of a joint research and education center at USTB with the joint efforts of the Energy and Environment Research Center of Energy and Environment, and jointly received special grants from China's National Scholarship Fund for training international talents. Professors Andy Schofield and Dean Martin Freer were made honorary professors and visiting professors of USTB, respectively. President Zhang expressed his hope that through his visit it would further consolidate and strengthen cooperation with the University of Birmingham.

Professor Eastwood warmly welcomed the delegation. He said that as a top university, the University of Birmingham is committed to making the world a better place. The signing of an agreement with USTB to co-sponsor students not only strengthened cooperation between the two schools in the fields of energy, environment, materials and machinery, but also expanded the new model of global cooperation at the University of Birmingham. The University of Birmingham prides itself on cultivating well-known Chinese alumni such as Li Siguang and Ke Jun and will, as always, welcome Chinese students to study and make contributions to the development of China and global society.

With warm applause, Professor Eastwood and President Zhang signed a student exchange agreement. President Zhang was then awarded an honorary professorship at the University of Birmingham.

On the same day, the delegation members also visited the materials and metallurgical laboratories of the University of Birmingham, the energy laboratory of the energy storage center, etc., and conducted in-depth exchanges with USTB alumni and students who work and study there. They discussed the establishment of the USTB Alumni Association UK Chapter and other matters.

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